Mobile steam generator



Nov., 12, 1946. R. B. RADBILL 2,410,900

f y MOBILE STEAM GENERATOR Filed Maron e, 194544 5 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HAY/volw 30ans/u Nov.`12, 1946. R.-B. RADBILL mu'EaILEl STEAM GENERATOR 5 sheets-sheet Filed March 6. -19'45 INVENTOIE @WMM/o' Hnos/u,

NOV. 12, 1946. RQB, RAD'BlLL 2,410,900

MOBILE STEAM GENERATOR Filed March 6, 1945 T5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. l2, 1946. R. B. RADBILL- 2,410,9004

MOBILE STEAM GENERATOR Filed March 6. 1945 5 'sheets-sheet 5 Patented Nov. 12, `1946 UNITED VSTATES PATENT' OFFICE f n 2,410,900 i MOBILE STEAM GENERATOR.

Raymonde.' Radbiu, Moylan, Pa.

Application March 6, 1945, Serial No.. 581,278 2 claims.. (C1. 122-5041) Thev present invention relates to steam generators and it' relates more particularly to new and improved more or lessV integral units adapted for mounting on a Vehicle or the like anddesigned to generate superheated steam for delivery-f to separate heating systems orthe like.

An object of the present invention is to providea new and improved mobile steam generator. Another object of the presentinvention isy to provide a compact more or less integralunitgadapted for mounting upon the chassis of a truck-or other vehicle and capable of quicklyv generating'super'- heated steamv for' supply toY a railroad tank-car steam coil or the like.

Otherv objects and advantages' of the present invention are; apparent in the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings. As is well known, road tars and asphalts and other similar products are usually shipped in railroad tank-cars; the tank-cars being loaded while the material is relatively warm and appreciably iluid. These materials, however, upon cooling in the. tank-car, tend to hardenE to a point at which they are semi-solid or plastic. In this state, they cannot be removed from the tank-car by ordinary pumping operations.

Accordingly, it is necessary to provide such tank-cars with built-in steam coils whichare adapted to be connected to a source of highpressure steam to heat up the contents (after the cars have reachedv their destination) to a point at which they are sumciently uid to. be pumpedA out;

In the past, it has usually been` necessaryA to unload such tank-cars at buildings having highpressure steam generating systems and for this reason itV has usually been impractical to direct the tank-cars to a point adjacent the road', etc. being constructed or repaired, as is the most economical and eflicient Way to deliver such road tars or asphalts, etc.

The present invention contemplates the. pro.- vision of anew and improvedcompact andA more or less integral unit which can be quickly installed upon the chassis of astandard auto truck or the like. and which is adapted` safely; quickly and eciently to generate superheated" steam; the novel mobile unit being adapted to be driven up to a tank-car standing in the vicinity of'the road being built or repaired and being adapted to deliver superheated steam directly to the' heating coils ofthe tank-car so that the tar or asphalt can be heated to a relatively fluid state` toper- 2. mit its being pumped' out and used directly o the road. y y

For the `purpose of illustrating the. invention, there is showninthe accompanying drawings one form thereof` which is at. present preferred, although it is to. be. understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can-be variously arranged and organized andthat the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and. organizations of l the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.l

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters.indicatelikeparts throughout: y

Figure 1 representsl a side elevationall view of one embodiment ofthe present invention.

Figure 2 represents a top-plan view ofthe steam generatingv uniti ofthe embodiment of Figure. 11

Figure 3 represents4 an elevational View, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the Vembodiment of Figure 1, but showing the other side of thev unit; parts being broken away better to revealthe construction thereof.

Figure 4 represents a rear view of the embodiment of Figures 1 to/S shown as it appears in use connected toa tank-car; parts being broken away better toreveal the construction thereof.

Figure 5 represents a vertical cross-sectional View, on anv enlarged scale, of the novel steamgenerating and super-heating coil forming part of the present. invention'.

Figure 6 representsY a` vertical cross-sectional View generallyalong the-line 6 6- of Figure 5v.

Figure 7 represents. a vertical: cross-sectional view generallyl alongA the line I-T of Figure-5.

In. one embodiment of the present invention showngenerally in Figures 1 to 7, I have shown an auto truck'indicated4 generally by thev reference characterv I0y and' havinga standard chassis I.I upon whichA the novelsteam generating unit to be hereinafter described is adapted to be mounted.

The steamV generating unitv includes a frame I2 of structural.'y steel or the like upon which all of the parts of the unit are mounted with the exception of' the fuelI tank |32 which may be mounted directly upon the chassis'forward'of ythe frame Ii21 as shownA inEigures 1 and 3.

Alternatively, it is possible to makei thefrarne I2 somewhat larger `and to mount: the fueltank IBupon the frame.

The frame I2 may be rigidly connected to-:t'he chassis III by meansof a plurality of shackles Hi; it being possible t'o provide beams I5 intermediate the chassis IIIl and the frame I2,.if" desired.

The steam generating unit includes a novel heating unit I6 to be hereinafter described in detail, an oil burner I1, a water tank I8 for supplying water to the heating unit I6, a low pressure air compressor or blower I9 for supplying air under pressure to the oil burner I1 and also for supplying air under pressure to the top of the fuel tank I3, a pump for delivering water from the tank I8 to the heating unit I6, a power unit 2I for `driving the blower I9 and the pump 20, and means to be hereinafter described for delivering superheated steam (generated by theheating unit I6) to the heating coils of a tankcar and for condensing the used steam and returning it to the water tank I8.

The power unit 2I may be any conventional type of internal combustion engine, having a 4-groove drive pulley 66.

The pump 2D may be any conventional type of water pump, as for example, a triplex water pump having a crankshaft 22, a flywheel 23 and a double-groove pulley 24.

The blower I9 is provided with a double-groove pulley 61; the blower I9 and the pump 2U being adapted to be driven by the power unit 2I through double V-belts 25 and 26 connecting the pulley 66 to the pulleys 61 and 24 respectively. The blower I9 is adapted to deliver air under relatively low pressure through a small line 21 to the top of the fuel tank I3; the air pressure thus created at the top of the fuel tank I3 serving to drive the fuel oil through the lowermost delivery line 28 to the burner I1.

Most of the compressed air from the blower I9 l passes through the relatively larger air line 29 to the oil burner I1.

The water pump` 20 is adaptedto pump feed water from the water tank I8 through the line 36 and to deliver the water to the heating unit I6 A through the line 3 I The water tank I6 is provided with an uppermost filling pipe 32 and a level gage glass 33.

The novel heating unit I6 forming part of the present invention includes a head 34 of ceramic heat-resistant material having an open-ended combustion chamber 35 therein; the nozzle 36 of the oil burner I1 being in line with the opening of the combustion chamber 35 and being adapted to blow the combustion gases thereinto.

The head 34 is connected to the rear end of an elongated generally cylindrical horizontally-disposed heat-transfer chamber 31 of metal or the like through which the combustion gases pass, eventially to escape through a flue-opening 38 provided at the front end of the chamber 31.

Within the heat-transfer chamber 31 is disposed a continuous water-tube steam generating coil system which includes an outermost helical coil 39 fitting snugly within the chamber 31 and extending generally the entire axial dimension thereof.

As shown particularly in Figure 5, the rear end of the coil 36 extends downwardly and through the wall of the chamber 31 and is connected with the water delivery line 3|.

The front end of the coil 39 is connected with the corresponding end of an inner superheating coil 40 disposed co-axially with the outer coil 38 but radially spaced appreciably therefrom.

The inner coil 40 extends rearwardly from its intake end and terminates substantially short of the rear end of the outer coil 39. The rear end of the coil 48'connects with one end of an innermost superheating tube system 4l which is.

made up of a plurality ofspaced axially-extending tubes connected at their ends through which the steam passes back and forth to be superheated to the desired pressure of approximately 150 pounds per square inch.

The outlet end of the superheating system 4I passes upward and out through the flue-opening 38; a pop-valve or |safety valve 42 being provided at the end thereof.

A high pressure flexible steam delivery pipe 43 is detachably connected to the valve 42 and is adapted to be connected to the intake opening 44 of the steam heating coil 45 of a tank-car 46.

A flexible return pipe 41 is adapted to be connected to the outlet opening 48 of the heating coils the other end of the return pipe 41 being detachably connected to a return line 49 provided with a strainer 5D and leading to a conventional steam trap 5I wherein the condensed water is separated from the steam and returned to the water feed tank 18 through the line 52. A bY-pass line 53 provided with a shutoff valve 54 connects the lines 43 and 52 so that the steam trap 5I can be by-passed by closing valves 55 on either side thereof and by opening the valve 54.

The fuel line 2B is provided with a manual adjusting and shut-off valve 56 adjacent the burner I1. Another manual valve 6I and a strainer 62 are provided at the other end of thefuel line 28 near the tank I3.

The fuel delivery line 28 is also provided with an automatic safety shut-off valve 51 which is spring-tensioned to closed position and which is provided with an outer arm or lever 58 to which one end of a wire or cable 59 extends; the other end of the wire or cable 59 being secured to the pop-valve 42 through a fusible metal link 6D.

The lever 58 cf the automatic valve 51 is normally held by the wire or cable 59r so that it maintains the valve 51 in open position (against the spring pressure thereof) topermit flow of fuel oil therethrough to the burner I1.

Should the temperature in the heating unit I6 rise too high (duc to failure of the water supply system or to any other cause), the link 6U will melt and -will release the wire or cable 59 which in turn will permit the automatic valve 51 to move to closed position thereby to shut off the flow of fuel to the burner I1. Instead of being directly connected to the popvalve 42, the fusible link 60 may be connected to the pipe intermediate the valve 42 and the innermost superheating tubes 4 I.

Shut-off valves 63 and 64 may be provided in the water lines 3D and 3I respectively, adjacent the pump 2U.

The power unit 2 l, the blower I9 'and the pump 20 may be installed within a weather-proof compartment 65 to protect them from the elements.

In operation, the novel mobile steam generating unit of the preesnt invention will quickly supply superheated steam under appropriate pressure to the heating coils 45 of the tank-car 46 until the tar or asphalt has been heated sufficiently .to render it relatively fluid whereupon it 'can be pumped out of the tank-car by any appropriate pump in conventional manner.

` The return pipe 41, the return line 49 and the steam-trap 5I permit continuous return of the used steam to the water tank I8 so that it is not necessary to add water to the tank except at rare intervals.

Thus, the novel mobile steam generating unit of the present invention can be used at' places .where there is no city or other water supply,

The pop valve 42, the fusible link `lill, the cable 59 andthe automatic valve 51 provide a foolproof unit which cannot explode, since, when the temperature and pressure within the heating unit I6 become excessive, not only is the pop valve opened to release the steam, but also the automatic valve 51 is closed to shut off the oil burner I1.

Where two or more cars are provided with inter-connected steam heating systems, they can all be heated simultaneously; the delivery pipe 43 being connected to the first car and the return pipe 41 being connected to the last car.

While the novel mobile steam generating unit of the present invention is intended primarily for use in heating road tar, asphalt and other bituminous products, it can be used equally well with other petroleum derivatives such as Amiesite, or with molasses or other products requiring heat- The novel mobile steam generator of the present 'invention can also be used wherever high pressure steam is required remote from fixed steam and/or water supply; as for example, in thawing manholes or culverts, cleaning drums, tanks or other equipment, soil sterilization, gas displacement (preliminary to welding, for example),etc.

The novel unit of the present invention generates steam almost immediately upon lighting of the oil burner and the ratio of weight to steam generating capacity is extremely low.

The present invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a mobile steam generator adapted for mounting on an auto truck or the like, an oil burner, a fuel line leading to said oil burner, a

heating unit disposed in operative juxtapositionv to said oil burner andv including-a combustion chamber and an elongated heat-transfer chamber communicating with said combustion chamber, a closed coil system disposed within said heat-transfer chamber, said coil system including a relatively long outer coil, a shorter coil disposed generally coaxially within said outer coil and spaced substantially radially therefrom and a series of innermost generally axially-extending superheating tubes, means vfor forcing water through said outer coil, said inner coil and said innermost tubes successively, said water being converted to superheated steam therewithin, a steam delivery line leading from said coil system and having a safety valve adapted to relieve excessive `steam pressure, an automatic shut-olf valve operatively connected within said fuel line, and means including a fusible metal link positioned adjacent said steam delivery line for closing said automatic shut-off valve when the temperature of said steam delivery line exceeds a predetermined value.

2. In a mobile steam generator adapted for mounting on an auto truck or the like, an oil burner, a fuel line leading to said oil burner, a heating unit disposed in operative juxtaposition to said oil burner and including a combustion chamber and an elongated heat-transfer chamber communicating with said combustion chamber, a closed coil system disposed within said heattransfer chamber, said coil system including a relatively long outer coil, a shorter coil disposed generally coaXially within said outer coil and spaced substantially radiallytherefrom and a series of innermost generally axially-extending superheating tubes, means for forcing water through said outer coil, said inner coil and said innermost tubes successively, said water being converted to superheated steam therewithin, a steam delivery line leading from said coil system and having a safety valve adapted to relieve excessive steam pressure, an automatic shut-off valve operatively connected with said fuel line, and means for closing said shut-off valve upon overheating 0f said coil system.

RAYMOND B. RADBILL. 

